The Barrel of a Silent Shotgun
by FoxiLady
Summary: "It's when your heart meets the barrel of a silent shotgun. You swear you've been hit, but there is no bullet." (SoMa, Hunter AU.) *EDIT: CHAPTERS 1-3 HAVE BEEN REVISITED. Do give them a re-read :)
1. Blood Before the Snow

_Hatee-Ho friend! The fox has edited chapters 1-3 of this story, so if you've read these before read em' again. Trust me, you'll get so much more from the edits! And once again, thank you so sooooo much for reading this silly fox's ideas and sending your reviews! They are most helpful 3~ Hope you enjoy what I have to offer!~_

** Blood**** Before the Snow**

_**"It's when your heart meets the barrel of a silent shotgun. You swear you've been hit, but there is no bullet."**_

_Those were the words mother used when I asked her what love was as a wee kit. I quickly started to doubt that it existed when his shotgun rang out and I felt something deathly sharp and white hot hit the left side of my torso. _

_The man with the wild brown hair had an unusual habit of leaving grapes on his porch in the backyard every afternoon. I thought the gesture meant he was paying respects to me for ridding him of those pesky cabbage eating hares, so I gathered his offerings and shared them with my kits. Mother used to tell me stories about how man-humans expressed their love for someone in weird ways, and for a while I thought that was what he had been trying to do with me by leaving out the grapes. I clearly wasn't thinking straight, it should've been very obvious that this was a trap he'd laid out to gut me like the deer he brought home occasionally for his dinner. Several bullets rocketed towards me as I dodged and fled into the deep wood, some ricocheting off the trees, chucking bark with them. One had found its way into my left side and I howled in great displeasure at the excruciating pain of the impact. In the distance I heard the feverish barking of a hound dog behind me. He hadn't housed a hound in the previous day. By acquiring that groveling lackey, he had prepared for this encounter._

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BITCH!" the man shouted as he fired more bullets into the thicket. He rushed to the back of his cabin to untie his more than overexcited hound dog. "GO SICK ER' EMMETT! I WANT THAT DAMN VIXEN'S PELT!"

_Said hound tore through the dirt on the ground racing towards me. Blood poured from my wound and I winced at the sharp pain shooting up my side as I pressed my paws into the ground but I wasn't willing to die today. My kit's needed their last meal before they were to leave the den and I was going to give it to them, even if it took my life in the process. Those kits were the duty mother had passed down onto me after she died, her pride and joy. I was to make sure they grew up nice and strong, thus making mother proud._

_The hound was fast, but I was quicker, cleverly dodging jutting branches and sharp boulders as the clumsy hound dog attempted to mimic my movements. It was only a matter of time before the dog became confused and dizzy, butting head first into a young maple tree and knocking itself out cold. Hounds are ridiculously oafish creatures._

"Shit...just perfect," spat the man with the shotgun who stood at his porch with a large scowl. He would've gladly participated in pursuing the fox alongside his new dog if he hadn't run out of ammo for his gun. A whine came from the direction of the woods as the hound dog, named Emmett, made his way slowly but surely back to his master's cabin, head hanging low. The canine knew that coming back empty mouthed was sure to make his master more than upset.

"Fucking useless hunting dog you are! I'm convinced that jittery breeder sold me a damn poodle. GO ON', GET 'fore I shoot YOU dead for dinner!"

The hound whimpered as it retreated to its place in the backyard after catching sight of his masters enraged expression. Before the hunter went back inside to call up the town dog breeder and give him a piece of his mind for selling him a malfunctional hound, he managed one last glance at the woods and noticed a haphazard blood trail leading from the front of his cabin into the forest. With a devilish grin spreading across his face he muttered, " You can run but you can't hide forever, crafty little bitch."

_I halted in my fleeing and leaned against a fir tree to assess my wound and surroundings. The den was nowhere near this part of woods; I must have gotten lost in my chaotic getaway from the mad man's home. My whole left side was throbbing with pain; my head dizzy from fatigue and blood loss. I tried to run some more, but it was a futile effort. My movement was sluggish and I felt heavy. I knew I wasn't going to last long._

_"I'm sorry my kits. I'm afraid I might not be coming back home today..."_

* * *

A rugged white haired man with a worn black leather coat, mud-stained boots, and rather apparent poor back posture slammed the door of his truck shut with a loud thud, looking very displeased with what he was witnessing. The Death's End Gun Shop is only ever insanely busy during one time of the year; on the brink of an oncoming winter. It's when all the hunters scramble to catch their last chance at landing big kills before they disappeared for winter hibernation. Ol' man Grimm; the most skilled hunter in the area took great pride in running a good service for the hunters in their little town. His son, aptly nicknamed 'Kid' Grimm, took after his retired father both in hunting skill and business smarts. This year, old age and the issue of weakening bones had caught up to his father, rendering him unable to maneuver anywhere much. Because of this, Kid sought the help of his friends and his father's old pals to run the store. By the looks of it today, some major hell had broken loose.

"Damn Kid," he cursed. "I really don't need this shit. Since when was there a line the length of the great wall for this place?"

The man with the leather jacket had no trouble asking people to move out of his way so that he could make his way into the store. Many of the townsfolk assumed he was bad business with his head full of white hair, those blood red eyes and his sharktooth snarl. They just moved out of the way automatically in fear, and he muttered insincere thank yous under his breath as they did. He was just wanted to pick up the new shotgun scope Kid promised him in a hunting bet from God knows how long; not to start any quarrels.

"YOOOOOOOOOOO SOUL MY MAN, THAT YOU!?"

Speaking of trouble…

"Oi. Yeah Black it's me, calm the hell down. You'll scare up the grizzlies with that damn yelling."

The slightly brawny equipment specialist with absurd electric blue hair scoffed at Soul's response to his greeting behind the counter.

"Pssh, no bear comes close to a match for this God!" he replied with a cocky grin. "Not even that damn demon Ragnarok this town fears so much!"

Soul let out a hearty guffaw. Black was someone he considered a friend, but could be an absolute egotistical idiot.

"First of all, you are no God," Soul replied and snorted when he saw Black's grin contort into an offended scowl. "Secondly, Ragnarok would tear your scrawny ass in two. I reckon you saw what he did to that guy Mif a while ago? That little girl of his too, she's fatherless because of that damn monster."

"Yeah I know what he did to Mif, don't remind me of the gruesome pictures they released on the newscast. Me and Mif went a ways back. He was a good friend of mine, we hunted in competition all the time." Soul nodded understandingly as Black proceeded to talk about the incident. "Baki and I actually made the decision to take Angela in a month ago. Shes a pissy little thing too, but I promised her I'd kill that bear and she calmed down a bit."

Soul leaned over the counter dumbfounded. Since when was Black Star ever willing to take in homeless kids? He knew Black and Tsu were an item for a while now, but couldn't imagine him trying to be a father. At least not yet anyway. Then again, he'd disconnected himself from most of the people he considered friends in town, so he wasn't aware of any changes in their lives that occurred. "You and Tsu took her in? I didn't know about that."

"You'd know about a lot if you came down to town and talked more often, damn recluse," Black responded, catching Soul off guard. "Seriously man, you need to keep in touch with the human race. What have you been doing with your life lately? The only time you come around is if you need something for hunting. I mean, did you forget you had friends?"

Soul shrugged, choosing to change the subject. "That's cool Black, I'm happy for you and Tsu, but now you have a kid to feed during the winter as well as yourselves. That's gonna be some trouble no?"

Black shot his friend a confused look, mulling over the question before going to help a rowdy fellow with a machete. When he was done he answered, "Nah man we're good, no problem this God and his Goddess can't solve haha! Got in some good kills before snow starts to fall; two deer bucks and a caribou. Baki did well with her crops in the backyard patch, and we got some canned goods stocked up in the basement."

"You got a caribou!? You lucky bastard Star. I've wanted to hit one for a month. Only been able to catch some doe and stray hares. Speaking of hunting, where's that damn Kid? Only reason I'm here is because he owes me a new scope shot."

"Hey Soul, long time no see! He's in the back dealing with inventory!" A tall blonde lady in a white coat called out from the back end of the store. "And Pat's been keeping a present of sorts for you here since forever!"

"Hey Liz!" Soul returned as he started to the back room of the shop. "Thanks, I'll be right over!" He waved at his friend. "Catch you later Star."

"For sure!" Black shouted. "And HEY, dont be a stranger man! The Goddess is making rabbit stew tonight, you're welcome to stop by and get some grub!"

"I'll think about it Black, I'm kind of busy today!" It was only half the truth. Soul did have to pick up groceries before going back home to tend to his recent kill, but truth be told, he didn't feel at all sociable today. He followed Liz to the back of the shop while various customers gave him the evil eye for having the privilege to cut the line. He really couldn't give a damn what others thought of him, he was just here for his gun.

"So Soul, you think Kid still remembers that bet huh?" Liz offered as she pushed her way through the packed space.

"Kid never forgets any promises he makes," Soul replied. "I know him well enough."

Liz laughed. "You sure about that, ghost-boy? It's been like what, weeks, months since we've seen you? Did you die and come back to haunt us for unfinished business?"

"That's not it Liz," Soul scowled at the tease. "I've just been really busy lately." Liz just rolled her eyes at his rather weak comeback. She'd noticed something had been off with Soul's behavior as of late. His response proved her superstition true.

"Sure, there's _so _much to do up there on that secluded hill you live on."

Soul sighed. Everyone wanted in on his life and he wasn't willing to be sociable about it at the moment. "Look Liz, I am busy, going through a lot of stuff. I know you care, but don't feel like talking about it right now."

Liz nodded in understanding, and dared not to push for more out of the frost-haired man. In her few years of acquaintance with the young Evans, she had learned that Soul wasn't one to be open about his feelings to many people other than his brother.

They both came to a halt and she opened a door, revealing a very disheveled young man with black hair screaming at a woman who had no idea what she had done to make him upset.

"PATTY, what is the meaning of this?!" Ol' man Grimm's son had a ferocious grip on the young woman's shoulders as he proceeded to chew her out. "I told you we needed an extra order of White Lightning Chambers, NOT to order Bazookas! What on earth is anyone here going to do with a Bazooka Patty?!"

"Blow shit up, Kid, that's what!" Patty shouted back with a deranged grin on her face. She thought it was a pretty cool idea to sell them. Kid needed to have more fun with his job as manager of a gun shop. "Those are way better than dumb old Chamber guns!"

Kid sighed and dropped his head in exasperation. The younger Thompson sister would surely be the death of him someday. "Great, I have a surplus of un-sellable weapons and the amounts of each gun are not the same. This is all wrong, my inventory is no longer perfect!"

"Lay off the strict order thing and loosen up a little, Kiddo!" Patty shoved the young Grimm playfully. She caught a glimpse of the office door open with Liz and Soul staring wide eyed at their quarrel. "SOUL!"

"I'm going to let you handle this one…" Liz mumbled, shutting the door behind her, going back to help Black with the frantic customers outside.

Kid looked up and was shocked to see that it was, indeed, Soul Evans standing in his office. "Well what do you know, he lives."

"Hey Kid. Patty," Soul greeted his old friends.

"Soul, It's been so long!" Patty chirped. "Where have you been all this time? Ooh, I have a thing for you in the back, let me grab it for you!"

"You really didn't have to Patty," Soul offered her a small smile, "but I appreciate the gift. Thank you."

"No probs!" Patty shouted as she entered another room door, rummaging about for the item.

"So Soul," Kid sighed and sat down at his desk, organizing the stray order receipts into neat piles. "Where exactly have you been these few past few months? I hardly ever see you anymore."

"I'm in town Kid," Soul stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, putting on his cool front. "I just buy my groceries and hunting gear in bulk when I get the money, so I don't have to make too many trips out. Gasoline is expensive these days, and I just recently had to fix my truck."

"Must be an errand run today, yes?" Kid inquired. "I take it you're here to pick up some rounds?"

"Actually Kid, remember that bet we made a while ago on who could shoot the buck with the biggest rack that day? I'm kind of taking you up on that offer now."

"So, you still remember!"

"Do you?"

"Absolutely, Soul. I never forget a bet," Kid reached down under his desk and pulled out a long, brown cardboard box. "I owed you this scope shot, correct? It would seem it's been collecting dust over the past months."

"Yep that's the one!" Soul took the box labeled 'Meister 100: Shotgun Scope' and weighed it in his hands. "It's feather light."

"That it is, but it runs quite smoothly and it's much more silent than most scopes," Kid smiled as he watched Soul play with the box. "I look out for you when I can."

"Thanks Kid," Soul returned. Patty emerged from the backroom with a heavy brown paper bag and handed it to Soul with a wink. "It's not much, but it's something to tickle the trachea~"

Soul raised an eyebrow slightly at her comment before thanking her with a nod. He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was getting late. "Well, it was nice seeing all of you, but I have to go finish up for the day. Thanks for the stuff guys!"

"Not a problem" Kid assured. "Be sure to ask Star for a box of scope rounds on the way out. It's on the house. Oh and Soul?"

He was about to open the door when Kid's question caught him. "Yeah?"

"Are you doing alright?"

Soul pondered over his answer. "Um, Sure?"

"We worry about you here you know." Kid started. "I haven't had small chat with you like this since, well... since _the incident_."

Soul froze in his place. Why would he bring _that _up now out of all times? He didn't need those memories coming back to him right now, or anytime soon for that matter.

"I'm fine Kid, really," Soul replies as he turned the knob on the door, jerking it open.

"You have friends, Soul," Kid reminded him, aware he had managed to hit some sort of nerve in his friend. "Remember that."

Soul, taken aback by Kid's words, nodded silently with a straight face and left the office. Still, he felt like the issues he was grappling with currently was something he needed to take care of one his own. He didn't want to drag others into his life struggles.

* * *

It turned out Patty had managed to hit a sale at the liquor store a while ago and gifted him with a large bottle of Grey Goose she'd gotten buying 100$ worth for her sister's upcoming birthday party. Liz's younger sister was six ways to Sunday crazy, but she shared his love for the science of booze and knew he liked that good shit too. Knowing also that it had been sitting in the office for nearly a year, he couldn't wait to enjoy the bottle when he got home. There was an invitation to the party inside of the bag, and Soul was glad the date hadn't passed. He'd feel like an ass if he missed Liz's birthday, or anyone's for that matter, even if he couldn't end up attending. It made him wonder if he missed any of his other friends' birthdays, but he cut those thoughts short to save himself the trouble of feeling like shit for not keeping in touch with them all enough. He hated to admit it, but Black was right about him being a recluse. It wasn't a title he found honorable, but he kept his distance from civilization for good reason.

It was getting dark. The few road lamps whizzing by began to flick on one by one, casting a dim, sickly orange glow onto the pavement. Soul never liked riding on the roads at night because he could barely make out anything in front of him with his car's dim headlights or the little light the lamps offered. Bucks and moose come out around this time of the day, and he'd already had his share of deer in headlights causing him broken windows and a dented hood. It cost him a load to fix all that up, using a hard earned raise from his bartending job to do so. Not a happy affair at all.

Just as he was about to turn up his radio to calm his nerves, Soul caught sight of a blurred figure emerging out of the bushes. Then it just dropped dead in the middle of the road.

"THE FUCK?!" Soul yelped as his foot slammed on the breaks. His truck barely came to a halt before reaching the thing...whatever it was. Sighing in relief on how he managed not to hit the thing or fuck up his car, he reached a shaky arm over to the back seat to retrieve his gun and slowly opened his car door to see what the hell he almost killed. He crept his way to the front of his car and immediately aimed his gun at the figure he could now make out in full.

"A fox?" He exclaimed. He relaxed a bit as he examined the creature and saw that there was a bullet wound in its left side. "Ugh, secondhand kill." He regretfully inhaled the stench of drying blood. "Looks like someone got to you before I did pup." Soul gave the fox a thoughtful look-over. It sported a rather lovely coat of cream, unlike any fox he'd ever seen. The foxes he'd come in contact with were only either orange or grey. This fox looked absolutely pitiful, and Soul was surprised to see that it was still barely breathing. A shot in that area was awfully close to vital organs and should've ended its life by now. He wasn't the kind to bring home near-road kill, but he felt obliged to put it out of its misery. Steeling his gaze like he did every time he went in for a kill , he pointed the barrel of his gun to the fox's heart, steadying his finger on the trigger.

He was about to pull until the fox's head moved, staring weakly but intently into his eyes. For the first time in his life, Soul began to feel some sort of trepidation about killing an animal. He tried to steel himself a second time, pressing the gun deeper into the fox's coat, but the vulpe's eyes, an usually vivid shade of emerald, seemed as if they were trying to bore a hole into his soul. All of a sudden, he completely lost his resolve to kill the dying creature. He couldn't. He could kill any animal he wanted any other day, but he couldn't end the life of this one fox. All because of those stupid green eyes.

Soul lowered his gun to the dirt floor and breathed a deep irritated sigh. He turned back to get in his truck, planning to drive off and leave the fox to die a natural death, but stopped and asked himself, "What the fuck am I doing?"

"_I thought you were going to kill me_."

Soul nearly jumped out of his pants when he heard a voice coming from where the fox lay. Only when he turned his eyes saw no fox, but an unconscious stark naked woman lying in its place with the same color hair as the fox's fur, the same bullet wound, and the same alluring emerald colored eyes.

* * *

"HEY KID, I NEED SOME FUCKIN AMMO FOR MY ARACHNE 800, PRONTO!" A man with wild brown hair slammed his gun down on the counter, hard and loud enough to catch everyone's attention in the store.

"Wait in line like everyone else, balls for brains!" Black screamed back at the man with equal gusto. "Who the hell are you to just waltz in here like you're the queen of Sheba or something and demand shit?!"

"You wanna go you damn blue haired monkey!?" The man sneered at Black Star. "I'll carve ya up real nice and feed you to my hound, he could use the weight!" The customers in the store slowly retreated to the exit not wanting to be involved this particular brawl.

"Why you son of A-!"

"Is there a reason you are frightening away all my customers on this fine day's night, Giriko?" Kid emerged from his office to examine the racket outside, successfully cutting off Black's rage before it turned into a messy fight. Giriko was a loyal customer, but he was also a royal jack of all asses when it came to common courtesy and many other common sensical things.

"There you are man, 'bout time I got some service!" Giriko strode up to kid with his chest puffed up. "Hell yeah there's a reason. I need some more ammo for my baby here!" He patted his shotgun.

"If I were you Kid, I'd send his princess ass home without shit!" Black screamed from over the counter.

"Shut up asshole!" Giriko back sassed.

" That's all?" Kid inquired. "Well if that's the case I'm sorry but you do have to wait in line Giriko. As you can see we have a full house here, and we could use all the business so calm down and stop scaring my customers away."

"But you don't understand Grimm, I need those bullets right away! I found the forest vulpe!" Kid looked at Giriko like he'd grown two heads. He couldn't have been talking about _that_, could he? The town had an old story parents passed down to children, telling of a part of the forest that was overgrown, inhospitable and filled with an explainable magic. No human being could ever enter this forest, otherwise it would swallow them whole. It was dubbed the 'The Wild of No Return,' and everyone knew to steer clear. There had been recent talk of folk claiming to have witnessed a girl with shape shifting abilities passing in and out of the area. They said she had the ability to turn into a fox, and believed that she was possessed by the mysterious magic of the forest.

"That's a bunch of crazy Giriko! That animal is nothing more than a town myth!" Liz offered her commentary as she sold a used, polished the rifle to the customer in front of her. "Why would you even bother chasing after a fairy tale? Aren't you a grown ass man?" The whole room erupted in laughter as Giriko's face turned the utmost hilarious shade of beet red.

Patty emerged from the bottom of the counter laughing with a box of rounds and slammed it on the top. "Here you go you crazy fucker! Shoot up all the fairy tales you want!"

Seething in anger, he shouted at Liz and the whole staff.

"SHES FUCKING REAL AND I'M GONNA PROVE IT TO ALL OF YOU WHEN I HAVE HER PELT ON MY WALL! I already shot the shit outta her and I'm gonna go searching for her half dead ass in the morning!"And with that, the obnoxious hunter threw his money over the counter, took his crate, banged the entrance door open and left.

"Kid, how serious do you think this clown is really!?" Black*Star outburst. "That's just a stupid old tale, isn't it? He probably just saw a regular ratty old fox, haha! Dumb shit."

Kid eyed the crazy looking man from out the window as threw the box of shotgun bullets into the backseat of his truck with a proud huff.

"I actually don't know Star." Kid chuckled good naturedly. "With that lunatic, you never do know."


	2. The Curious Incident of the Fox-Woman

_ Hatee-Ho friend! The fox has edited chapters 1-3 of this story, so if you've read these before read em' again. Trust me, you'll get so much more from the edits! And once again, thank you so sooooo much for reading this silly fox's ideas and sending your reviews! They are most helpful 3~ Hope you enjoy what I have to offer!~ _

**The Curious Incident of the Fox-Woman in the Nighttime**

_Nighttime crept up on me like a murder of ravished crows swooping in on their soon to be meal. I had lost my way in the evergreen thicket and began to question the voice in my head taunting me; telling me to keep on my feet and that everything would be fine. This was man-hunter territory. Everything was NOT going to be fine. My wound was still seeping despite the crusting that offered very little stop to the blood flow. Every inch of my body had filled to the brim with prickly sensation. I couldn't feel myself limping along the dirt but my mind assured me that I was moving. Even still, I could feel my consciousness gradually slipping away. I knew I was not going to last very long after a few minutes of aimless wandering passed and I starting seeing lights. Mother once told me that the entryway to the afterlife was through a tunnel of light. Knowing very well I was dying, I followed the lights with what little will power I had left in my body. This was strange light. It was pale and dim. Why was it closer to this open grey ground? Wasn't heaven supposed to lead skyward?_

_I tried to trudge further to find the entry to the tunnel of dim light, but my will deteriorated half way there. I was so close, and yet so far from my destination, lying limply on the cold gray floor. I registered a loud screeching noise coming closer to me before I was met with more light. I could make out the image of a man who was pointing a weapon at me, muttering nonsense I could not understand. He looked different than the man who caused me this fatigue but alas, another man with a gun who wants to take my life! I began to question whether I was going to heaven or hell. This man with a gun owned the light, so he must be the keeper of the afterlife. But which afterlife? I weakly stared at him, trying to figure out what kind of gatekeeper he was. Would his gun promise me an afterlife of pain and suffering or lead me into the land of light? He stared back at me just as intently, blood red eyes that seemed to teeter between steeliness and pity. I witnessed pity win them over as he lowered his gun to the ground angrily returning to the light; leaving me in this spot to die. _

_I was perplexed by all of the sensations in my dying body, but one thought stood out above the rest. I did not want to be left alone. I wanted to follow this man into the light to see where it went. So I cried out to him before I let sleep overcome me, forgetting that it was most likely in vain to do so; for man could not possibly understand a fox. _

Soul could not believe what he was seeing. Was he alive this all happening for real? He pinched himself roughly on the arm, thinking that he would wake up from some hallucination he might have been having. He still saw what he thought; a naked fox...chick? He bit himself, completely forgetting his shark tooth trait. He winced and noticed a little drawn blood. Glancing at the ground once more he still saw a naked woman-fox- the hell if he knew!

"I have utterly fucking lost it…" he drawled out still slack jawed and wide eyed from what he just witnessed. What the fuck was happening to him? Either he was insane, in the middle of some crazy magician type shit or he really needed to get laid. Like, REALLY get laid if his dreams were becoming this ridiculous and lucid.

His brain yelled at him to get in the car, drive off, and forget any of what he saw ever happened, but his legs were on a different agenda. He found himself inching closer and closer to the naked woman. Soul knew he was wrong for this. It just felt wrong to stare at a woman in all her naked glory while she was unconscious, but he was all sorts of confused and curious. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander a bit. She had the appearance of a goddess; the way her cream colored locks fell over her shoulders and her petite frame graced the grey concrete with its presence. She was gorgeous, he thought, and that alabaster skin of hers really made her glow in the nighttime. Soul would have ogled her longer if the scent of drying blood didn't bring him back to his senses on her condition. He allowed his arms to come back to life as they reached to feel for a pulse point. Sighing heavily, glad that she was still breathing, but barely, Soul decided that even though what he was seeing was absolutely absurd, he had to do something. She wasn't just some mangy fox on the verge of death now. She was (somehow) a woman. He wasn't the kind of man to drive off and leave a helpless lady out in the cold to die of a bullet injury. Or was she even a woman? He was absolutely puzzled on the whole ordeal.

Suddenly aware that this all was happening on an open road where anyone could drive by and see them, he quickly but carefully snatched up the fox woman into his arms and gently placed her down on the back seat of his truck. Worried that she could catch a sickness, he rummaged around in the trunk for the spare blanket he used for camping out in the woods and hurriedly draped it across her unconscious form before hopping back into the driver's seat and taking off. It would've cause a lot of confusion and mess if any stray vehicle caught sight of them.

"I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe I'm doing this." Soul managed a quick glance at his mirror to see how the fox lady was faring, only to be met with the view of the blanket riding up on her rather enticing rear end. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

* * *

Soul would like to think that the best part of his day was the drive back to his cabin from work or from hunting. He wasn't a very social man in town; kept his distance from people who looked at him funny; probably due to his albino-like traits. He only really found it meaningful to chat with Black, Kid and everybody else who worked at the gun shop. They understood him; his thirst for the thrill of hunting. They were the only ones who accepted some his quirky ways aside from his older brother Wes, who had passed away a few months ago and left him on his own.

The Evans family was known to be loaded; so it's no surprise the cabin that Wes and Soul lived in was probably the most luxurious piece of property around. It had a rugged lumberjack look on the outside, as most cottages usually have, but the inside was beautifully pristine and flawless from the rust colored walls and fur covered furniture to the glossed mahogany flooring. He and Wes needed an escape from a life where people had money sticks driven so far up their asses it rendered them incapable of seeing the brighter side of life. Their cabin house in the backwoods, secluded from society, is where they found it. Here there were no rules. No priorities except to live life and be as free as the wind blows in doing so. He thoroughly enjoyed being away from the world in his cabin, and with Wes it was easier because he had someone to share the bliss with. His house smelled of vivid memories and brotherly adventure, but without his Wes's presence, Soul felt pangs of loneliness once in awhile. Black had Tsubaki to keep him company and sometimes seeing the two together stirred up a twinge of jealousy in his gut. Whenever he felt empty, he'd just sit in his favorite armchair with a bottle of vodka as his company. Booze knew how he felt, and knew how to cure him of his bitterness even if it was only for temporary. He wasn't sure his pals at the shop could do the same, even if they were willing to help. The truth was that his brother was dead and that could not be reversed. No matter how many friends he had, no one actually understood him and his struggles quite like Wes did. Long had he wished for the heavens to send his brother back to earth as a reincarnation, to share his thoughts and wildest dreams with like the good ol' days. But instead, some crazy force of nature sent him this predicament.

"What kind of sick joke is this? I ask for a companion and I end up dragging a half dead naked fox- woman-whatever she is into my house. Am I really this desperate for friends?" Soul sighed in his chair by his bed, where he had situated the object of his confusion. What on earth was this female with the forest green eyes and ivory hair? Were there more creatures like her out there that could turn into animals? Was he shooting humans this whole time for fun!? The many questions stirring about in his head made him feel sickly, but the feeling quickly subsided when he glanced at her calm sleeping face.

He had already cleaned up the girl by dressing her in some of his old clothing that couldn't fit him anymore; a pair of blue plaid boxer shorts and a black t-shirt he thought was small until he saw that it almost entirely engulfed her whole body. He had never dressed a naked woman before in his life; needless to say when he had to dress her wound and put his own clothes on her, he was a little more than flustered. The tent in his pants that formed in the process, grew tighter every time his arm brushed against her breast and his eyes occasionally wandering to her nether regions did NOT help his cause either. It'd been awhile since he felt like he wanted to explode in a sexual way, but he had to constantly remind himself that this was not a regular woman and that he should not have these sort of feelings for animals. Especially animals that hunters like him kill on a daily basis.

Soul also didn't need the talk of the town being that he'd gone soft because he couldn't kill a half dead fox. No sir. He had a reputation as a stone cold hunter, and no wimpy fox was going to take it down that easily. At least that's what he hoped, as he watched the fox-girl in deep slumber.

She was a tiny thing; seemed pretty damn young too. She wasnt 'baby' young, but somewhere on the cusp of what a woman would look like in her mid twenties. Soul noticed she was trying to position herself to sleep like a fox; attempting to curl her non-existent tail around herself. It was pretty hilarious, as she was clearly not comfortable in that position as a human, but also kind of cute. She mumbled something in her sleep, probably from a bad dream or the pain in her left side. It brought him back to his senses yet again on her condition. That wound wasn't a paper cut; it needed to be examined by a doctor. He wanted to call the town's doc Stein right away, but by the time he arrived home, the docs hours were over and there was no way in hell on a Friday anyone in their right mind was going to take a house call. So, he did the best work he could with his first aid supplies and antiseptic. She seemed to be faring fairly decent for someone having just been shot, probably because she wasn't a normal girl. He'd call the doctor in the tomorrow.

"You are quite the soldier, fox lady." Soul muttered in admiration as he absentmindedly petted her hair. "But you confuse me to no end right now. What are you? Where do you even come from? Arg, I need a damn drink!" He'd figure this whole shit out in the morning. The television and the couch were practically screaming his name, but the bed, now seeming more inviting with the fox lady sprawled out on his sheets, howled at him the loudest. "Where the fuck did I put that Grey Goose…"

* * *

A lone timber wolf trotted across the jutting stones of the grassy grotto, in search of the shrill cries that answered his conversation to the moon. His ears perked up and in the distance he could make out the small opening of a den. He knew this place. The foxes resided here.

"Fox pups, are you about in the den?" the wolf called out. In the pale moonlight, he could make out three heads popping out from the dark hole in the ground. Eyes wide with excitement.

"HEY GUYS IT'S ELDER!" one of the kits shouted in excitement. All three of the foxes ed him to this place hopped out of the den, eagerly sniffing and nuzzling about their well known friend. "Elder Free we were so glad to see you! It's nighttime and we are very hungry!" One of the fox's stomachs rumbled noisily.

The wolf named Free was like a father figure to the kits, being that their father had passed away long ago, along with their mother.

"Where is your elder sister fox pups?" It was a simple question, but the tone in Free's voice scared them stiff. He sounded pretty upset about not seeing their sister.

"We do not know Elder Free," one of the foxes responded. She promised us each a brownnut hare and grapes when she went out to hunt, but it is nighttime and she has not returned to the den. We are very hungry now."

Free eyed the three young foxes. Even though he referred to them as pups, they were not the same little ones he knew. They have grown into three handsome adolescent males, and soon it would be time for them to leave this den to make a life of their own. Or perhaps, tonight was the night they would become adults.

"Little ones. You are young no more. It will soon be time for all of you to leave the den and live your own lives. Tonight I will supply you each with a brownnut hare as your sister had promised. Come sunrise you will leave this den."

The foxes gasped. They were finally ready to leave and hunt on their own! It was an exciting news, but also terrifying. What If they were not ready yet? What if the woods swallowed them whole like an offered sacrifice?

"Elder Free, are you sure we are ready? What if we can't hunt well and we starve? What about our sister?" One of the kits questioned.

"Your sister has left us all if she has not yet returned."

"Our sister is...dead?" The fox kits lowered their heads in sadness.

"I apologize for being the bearer of bad news, but such is life. The elders die when it is time, and the youth rises to take their places. Now, you will listen as I say. You will each have your last feast before you leave the den to explore. Do NOT ever return. Do you understand me pups?"

The foxes looked at each other with frightened expressions. How were they to survive in the woods by themselves? They could only hope that their sister's and the timber wolf's training would be enough to survive. They had to be strong for themselves now. For Elder Free and for their sister. "Yes Elder Free."

"Good. Wait in the den until I return with kill. In the morning, all three of you will become handsome Silvers."

* * *

"Okay, oooooookay-WHOA-uhhhhhh, staaaaay foxie, stay-NICE FOXIE!"

Soul knew attempting to cook breakfast in the morning was a bad idea, as he had successfully awakened the she-beast from its slumber with the delicious smell of fried eggs and bacon. How stupid can he be really? His morning munchies got the best of him, and now here he was holding his hands out in front of him afraid that the wild animal was going to go to town on him for trapping her in his house.

The fox lady, no longer in lady form, snarled and hissed at him from the doorway of the living room. He was going to wake her up later expecting that she would be somewhat sluggish and compliant from fatigue enough to hear what he had to say about her sleeping in his house. Of course that plan went to shits when she was awoken by the scent of his breakfast, sleepily followed the smell into the kitchen and was startled by seeing a shirtless man in front of her with a knife and fork. He understood that this environment was very much new to her and she must be terrified to be in the same surroundings as a human. Nonetheless a hunter; one that had apparently gone soft. He tried not to think about that as it bruised his ego, but he wished she would calm down. She had bitten his hand in an attempt to faze him and scurry out of the house. Lucky or rather unluckily for him, Soul had shut all the windows and locked all the doors last night; didn't want her injured ass to escape and hurt herself even further. Foxes were known to be crafty little fuckers. He was sure this one was no exception, and hoped to god the fox didn't have rabies the way she seemed to slightly foam at the mouth as she snarled.

Then she started yipping frantically at him and Soul found the angry sound to be quite annoying, but didn't dare chance a comment, fearing for his physical health. After awhile, he began to notice that the fox's yipping had a sort of pattern to it. Almost as if she was trying to talk to him. He cocked his head to the side dumbly and she stopped her infernal yipping. She stayed quiet and still for a minute and then yipped again, but only once and it held some annoyance it it as if she was asking him, "_What?_"

"Fox lady, I cannot understand a damn word you are saying," Soul spoke slowly and cautiously. The fox now cocked her head in annoyance.

"Can y-... can you understand me?"

The fox stayed silent and stood her ground.

Soul sighed in exasperation. "Listen you crazy cottontail, I cannot understand you unless you-you do the thing." The fox cocked her head a second time and squinted her eyes, waiting for a better explanation of "_thing._" He seemed to catch on. "You have to turn into a human, like you did the other day...alright?"

_Oh_. She had completely forgotten that she had woke up in her undesirable form. Her mother had been aware of this trait she possessed and tolerated it, but always warned that it could potentially put her in danger. She grew up hating this ability. And now a human stood before her, asking her to transform so that he could understand her when she spoke? How could a human possibly understand a fox? She didn't understand this man, but needed to make her statements clear. The morphed back into a human as Soul asked. She was beginning to wonder if it was the right thing to do, because the man held his nose, turned around and yelped, "SHIT….shit fucking damn ugh…..I'M SORRY I-fuuuuuuck," in response.

The fox lady examined herself. She looked normal, in this form at least. So why was the man with the white hair and crimson eyes turning away?

"Do not apologize for seeing such hideous things."

Soul froze, stunned by both the dark velvety sound of the woman's voice and her choice of words. Did she just say-did she just call herself ugly? Soul dared a glance at her face and fought an intense battle with his bodily urges to keep his eyes only on her face. '_I'm a good boy', _he chanted_ 'I am a very good boy'. _What the hell was wrong with her. She clearly was very attractive.

"You," he started, taking note of how deep his voice had gotten. Damn hormones. "You are NOT hideous." He walked over to his couch to retrieve his fluffy red blanket and walked back to the woman cautiously as he closed his eyes, hung his head low and stretched it out to her. "I happen to think that you're kinda cool cottontail, especially now that I can understand you." What was he talking about! He didn't want to say 'cool'. She was beautiful. He wanted to say beautiful! But he couldn't risk it. She might bite his head off.

The fox woman inched backward into the room, confused by this gesture. She looked at the blanket, but did not take it.

"Of course you would like this form, man-hunter. This form is human. Humans are ugly creatures and therefore are fascinated with other ugly things. Mother said they should not ever be trusted. Especially man-humans."

Soul opened his eyes a bit to look at the dampening left size of the gauze pad around her mid drift, but kept his head down. He understood where she was coming from, but her opinion of humankind was totally skewed in the wrong directions.

"I have learned my lesson." She looked down to the gauze pad around her and poked it, hissing when she felt stinging in the area. "Why is this here, and why do you insist on covering my body with abnormal material? Is my ugliness too much to bear man-hunter?"

Soul ground his teeth together in annoyance at the fact that this beautiful young woman before him, thought of herself and all of humankind as ugly. Yeah there were some rotten apples in the bunch, like the guy who put a bullet in her side, he'd decided. But not all people were bad, and not all men were assholes. Soul oddly found himself wanting to prove that to the fox woman, but how could she come to understand it? She was a fox. People hunt foxes all the time. She probably thought humans were some kind of demonic creature.

"I am handing you this red blanket to cover yourself because in the human world, it's called respect," he started carefully. The woman seemed to be listening. "Men respect women by not invading their privacy. At least the good ones do."

Taken aback by the man-hunters words, the fox decided to do as he wished and cover her body with the red cloth he provided. She figured she should do as he commanded because he could kill her if he wanted to. He had a gun. She did not like guns. It was after she'd fully wrapped the blanket around herself that he asked for permission to lift his head and look at her.

"There is not much to look at man-hunter, so I do not see the problem," the fox woman snidely remarked.

Soul lifted his head to gaze at her expressionless face. If he starred very closely at the way her viridian eyes slightly shifted from him to the floor, he could detect a slightest hint of fear in them, and he understood where it was coming from. His ghostly white hair and blood eyes didn't do much to make him appear friendly, and he practically was holding her hostage in an unfamiliar setting. She was deathly scared of him and put on her steel face to keep herself together, but he wasn't going to play the bad guy role in this woman's story. He had to convince her that he was different than the rest of the men she had encountered in her past, and hoped that she would at least consider his words.

"But there is very much to learn about you, cottontail," Soul smoothly replied as the corners of his mouth twitched up into a cheeky grin. She flinched at seeing the man-hunter bare his sharp teeth. They put her on edge. Since when do humans have that sharp of canines? "And I have a name you know, it's Soul. You got a name fluffy?"

The fox lady grimaced at the man-hunters confidence. "I am NOT a cottontail, man-hunter who calls himself Soul! Cottontails are rabbits. They are my meals at sunrise, middle day and sunset; very easy kill. I can fight back, so I am not easy kill!"

Soul stifled a giggle making its way up to his throat. This girl-fox-whatever she was, was damn cute. Here she was trying to act like a tough ass in front of him, only to be reduced to a ranting forest nerd who couldn't take a little teasing. She turned away from him in anger, her face in a pout. Yep. She was fucking adorable.

"And my name is Maka. It is what mother called me."

Maka. _Maka. _What an interesting name for a fox; had a nice ring to it. Then again when he thought about it, the name Soul wasn't really normal either. Well that was one thing he and this woman had in common. They were far from being normal. A few moments of silence passed between the two, and Soul raked through his mind for something to say when he finally remembered that he had cooked enough breakfast for two people, well... one person and a hungry fox.

"So, Maka," He started as he motioned for her to join him at the kitchen table. "You like bacon?"


	3. A Crack in the Barrier

_Hatee-Ho friend! The fox has edited chapters 1-3 of this story, so if you've read these before read em' again. Trust me, you'll get so much more from the edits! And once again, thank you so sooooo much for reading this silly fox's ideas and sending your reviews! They are most helpful 3~ Hope you enjoy what I have to offer!~_

**A Crack in the Barrier **

'_Do not cross paths with a man human. Many misfortunes does male leave with female, troubles that bring pain and suffering.' Mother was a wise fox. Father was a handsome Red. With his charm, he could have any vixen he wanted to at any given time. The only of father's kits he ever checked up on was me, and only because of my strange ability- but he rarely visited the den. Mother had told me she was a fool, trusting a lecherous Red who promised her endless amounts attention, protection, hares, squirrels and small fowl. She warned that I should take precautions to make sure my soul became bulletproof, and no alpha nor man human could hurt it. But I was not bulletproof. The hole in my side that throbbed and ached as well as my confusion on the likes of man were proof of that. Still, why did I continue to play the fool? I went against my mother's wisdom in trying to trust this man because I thought we had something in common. Alas, the only thing we shared was that wretched human body. Man is a vicious beast who kills all that he fears and all that fears him. But this one I was not sure of._

_He was a most strange creature._

* * *

"You gonna eat that bacon or let it go cold, cottontail?"

Soul had been eying the fox woman ever since he'd convinced her to sit down at the table. She refused to dress into any more clothing, much to Soul's dismay, complaining that the material was itchy and uncomfortable. 'She'll get used to it' he decided, as if she would stay with him for a long time. He liked to think she'd oblige him and be his companion for a while; she was interesting enough to keep him entertained. Then again, he was sure the fox had other fox-like duties she'd rather attend to, rather than sitting around in his house with a nasty bullet wound. She was frightened of him; he could see it in the way her tiny frame trembled in the chair, rattling the entire table. Her hands toyed with the tufts of cotton on the red blanket around her shoulders, and angry green eyes focused on the plate set before her, loaded with a heap of greasy bacon and eggs. Soul figured a fox had a bigger stomach than a person, so he made her portion of breakfast considerably larger than his own, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe she wasn't hungry? Maybe she didn't like bacon? Or maybe she was so scared shitless of what was happening that she couldn't find it in her to move a single muscle.

"Maka."

She whipped her head in his direction, the fear in her eyes replaced with caution and fury. Fox ears formed at the top of her head as if she was about to shape shift again.

"What do you want, man-hunter Soul?!" she snapped.

He jumped from his seat slightly, but his gaze on her remained unwavering. "Chill, would ya!" he retorted. "I was just wondering if you liked bacon or not. I mean, you haven't eaten at all in the last twenty minutes. Aren't you hungry?"

Maka sat still for a few seconds before responding with a small nod. Her eyes retained their anger.

"Then what the hell's the matter?" Soul questioned irritably as he watched Maka's frown deepen. Her eyes grew steely, and Soul actually began to feel hell trying to break loose from the ground the longer she held her silence. Maybe his choice of words weren't so great...

"You want to know what is the matter?" she started lowly. "This food is strange. This place is strange. You are strange. MAN is strange!" Her voice rose as tears began to spill from her eyes. "I have kits who need their food before they leave the den! I trusted a man for grapes and he shot me! Now here is another man-hunter who offers me more food and I am not hungry anymore!" Maka rose from her chair, stomped off and dropped to a corner in the living room to hide her tears from the hunter's prying eyes. Soul kept his silence and allowed her to cry. However, that was short lived as he was jerked out of his thoughts by the mix of growls making their way into her sobs. Very worried she had reopened her wound he worked on so hard last night, he rushed over to where she lay in the fetal position.

"Easy." Soul reached to grab Maka's shoulder to stop her from sobbing, but it resulted in a materialized fox maw snapping at him.

"I wish for you not to touch me, man-hunter!" she yelped. "I wish to be released from this imprisonment and to return to my den immediately!"

"Well, excuse me for trying to help you out here, princess!" Soul retreated angrily. He did not take well to being bitten by wild animals, and she was a feisty little thing. "Aren't foxes supposed to be appreciative of kind gestures?!"

"Is this what you call help, man-hunter Soul? Kidnapping foxes against their will, holding them hostage, and playing with their minds?" Maka retaliated. She honestly just wanted to leave, and this man was making it very difficult.

Soul breathed a frustrated sigh through his nostrils and ran a calloused hand across his face. She had kids. He was keeping her from her children. The thought made him feel sick. "Maka," he started cautiously, "Believe me, I would love to let you go-"

"Then why are you keeping me here? What do you want to do with me!?" Maka's panic levels were rising and Soul detected the frantic scraping of her nails against the mahogany flooring.

"Calm down, you didn't let me finish, fluffy!" He knew teasing her with nicknames probably wasn't the best method to cure her uneasiness, but the priceless frown Maka sported every time he'd use them were very much worth chancing it. "Listen, I did not kidnap you. I saved you. You would've died if I hadn't found your half-dead ass on the road, or worse, if another hunter got to you before me. Then you could've been someone's dinner." He inwardly cringed at how harsh he sounded, but it was the truth, after all, even if it wasn't pretty. Surely a wild animal would understand. Maka kept silent as Soul pondered his next words, furiously raking his fingers through messy snow white hair . "I'm sorry Maka, really. I had no idea you had kids-"

"Kits," Maka corrected.

"Kits," Soul repeated. "But I can't just let you go back into the woods like this." He motioned to the blood-soaked gauze on her side. "I don't want you to get hurt even more than you already are, Maka, so please let me have a look at that nasty thing. The sooner it heals, the faster you get to leave this cabin and get rid of me."

"So you will not be letting me go soon then, Soul." Maka's scowl deepened. What an absurd predicament to be in! Her kits were probably starving to death, and she was here stuck in a man-hunter's prison with no escape, and he was a peculiar man-hunter. Her only way out was for her wound to heal? He wanted to heal her, not hurt her; what exactly was his deal?

"Humor me, man-hunter, since when do hunters actually care about injured animals?"

Soul flashed Maka a pensive look as he sought out the right words to answer her question. It had been a while since he'd done something like this; take an interest in helping injured animals. Several years ago when they first arrived in Death's Peak, he and Wes happened upon a young injured coonhound in the middle of the nowhere forest; probably abandoned by some careless hunter for being useless in retrieving game. It was a common act of most hunters in the area to dispose of their least successful hunting dogs in the woods, killing them off or kicking them in the legs so they couldn't follow. The very idea of this behavior disgusted the Evans, especially Soul, whom since his youth days took a stronger liking to dogs than he did people. They brought the dog home, dressed his wound, and thought about a name for him. Both had decided upon calling the coondog Rocky, for he sported charcoal grey fur and a shaggy squirrel like tail; marking it as a mixed breed. Not to mention, Rocky was also one of Soul's favorite old-time cartoon characters. In those days, Wes spent the majority of his days at work. In this time, Soul and Rocky developed a greater connection. On the days Soul would go out to shoot, rest assured Rocky followed close behind. The two were inseparable, like brothers (so his actual brother would say.) Until one grey afternoon, when something snapped in Rocky's mind frame. It turned out the dog had been in a quarrel with a rabies infested raccoon earlier that week, and the bitter end of the bargain finally caught up to him. Rocky could've infected Wes with the disease when he latched on to the eldest Evans' leg, gnawing and slobbering profusely from the muzzle, if a gunshot hadn't rang out. Soul's gun. He killed his best friend to save his brother.

And it hurt; Rocky knew Soul's deepest and darkest secrets, many of which he never dared share with his own brother. Even though he was aware Rocky had picked up a maddening from the coon, Soul never forgave the raccoon for turning Rocky against them. His anger with himself and the creature were the very things that fueled his drive during the hunt. All the pent up guilt and anger packed a punch to every bullet he landed in his targets. But now history was repeating itself, and Soul began to feel a shifting of plates beneath the surface of his hardened self. All of sudden, he was the younger brother who found a poor helpless puppy again. Except this puppy was a fox woman named Maka. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally answered,

"You sort of remind me of an old friend I once knew. I saved him from a similar fate, but he's gone now."

Maka's eyes widened at the man-hunter's revelation. Who was this 'old friend' he spoke of? Were there more creatures like her out there in the world? Was Soul more knowledgeable of what she was than she presumed? More importantly…

"Why would you bother saving something like me?" Maka questioned.

Soul chuckled softly at Maka's confusion, but kept his voice serious when he replied,

"Someone. Maka you are not an object, you are a living breathing creature like myself. So don't convince yourself otherwise." He paused, and gave her a soft smile. "Secondly, I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance at life."

Very much puzzled, Maka asked another question, "So why do you kill other animals?"

"For the same reason you kill small fowl and hares; it's a fun sport and they're just vermin."

"Only a mere game? So you shoot animals for the sole reason that it is enjoyable, nothing else? That irks me."

"Well yeah but, uh, I also eat the game I kill. What a waste it would be to leave perfectly good kill to rot when you can feed hungry mouths with it. Don't you agree?"

Maka was very amused by Soul's understanding of such concepts in life and fought the urge to turn her lips slightly upward. Everything in life picks and chooses what they want to destroy or let be to benefit their own. This hunter could've considered her food, but chose to spare her life for the benefit of his mind, as well as her well being. She also could relate to this "game" of hunting, as she had frequently played it to feed herself and her kits. Still, she wasn't going to show her approval of the man-hunter's words too much, otherwise she'd lose what little of her threatening factor she had left. Besides, as much as Maka wanted to believe Soul's words held some morsel of sincerity and truth, she couldn't afford to trust man after her experience with the previous hunter. Humans were shaky creatures, very unpredictable. So she settled for a slight nod.

"I would have to agree with you on these terms, man-hunter Soul."

"Good. So fox lady, now that we are on more agreeable terms, do we have a deal about what I mentioned earlier?"

Maka pondered her options. She peered at the shotgun resting up against the wall in the corner of the room. If she said no and tried to bite him, he could shoot her dead, no questions asked. If she tried to escape at night, he could hunt her down easily. There was no way she'd be able to run very far with an injured left side. And her kits, oh how she needed to tend to her poor helpless kits! Maka didn't know what she should do. She glanced back at Soul, meeting his awaiting gaze. On the other hand, he did save her from dying back there on the road. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as a normal hunter would be, but she couldn't take her chances trusting another man. Still, she had to do something to get out of this predicament.

"When I heal, you will let me go back to my den?" Maka questioned for good measure.

"Absolutely," Soul cheekily replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"And you will NOT follow me?"

"Hell no."

Maka squinted her eyes at him before heaving a sigh and replying, "Ok, man-hunter Soul. You have a deal. But you must keep your promises."

Soul smiled, happy that Maka was finally beginning to cooperate with him. "Cross my heart, pup." She grimaced at him, obviously upset about agreeing to such terms. "Alright, let's have a look at that shall we?"

Maka sat stiff in her chair as Soul got up to retrieve a wooden box from the bottom cupboard in the kitchen. When he approached her midriff and opened the box to reveal rather strange tools, she started to whimper.

"Hey, _hey_, it's ok," Soul cooed as he crouched down and gently massaged Maka's leg through the red blanket. He took pity on the fox girl, something he rarely did with anybody in his life. She had very little knowledge of human healing methods and probably viewed the content of his first aid kit as torture devices. "I'm not going to hurt you, Maka. I took out the bullet yesterday so this shouldn't be as painful to clean now. You're also very lucky the hunter who nicked you used some pretty cheap shit."

Maka studied the movement of Soul's hands as he thoroughly wet another piece of cloth with some bluish water. Sensing her curiosity, he grinned before answering, "This stuff helps clean cuts very well. Might sting a little though. Just a heads up."

Maka wasn't aware of what he meant until he started to dab gently at the side of the bullet wound, causing her to hiss rather loudly through tightly clamped teeth. He muttered constant apologies coupled with those infuriating grins until she became comfortable with the stinging sensation. She wondered if he actually took sick pleasure in seeing her in pain from how much he liked to put his teeth on display every time she whimpered.

"You ok, cottontail?" Soul tentatively asked when she became very quiet.

"I believe so," Maka replied with a slightly pained expression, eyes roaming every inch of the room from her position.

"Cool," Soul responded as he continued his gentle work around her wound. "You sure? It sounded painful."

"Yes it was, but I am well now, man-hunter." There were a few seconds of silence before anyone spoke again.

"I do not enjoy the sight of your teeth very much, man-hunter."

Soul looked up at Maka from his position and read her annoyed expression, replying smoothly, "Why is that, Maka?"

Maka leered at him. "It means that you want to pick a fight with me, like the wolves always do. I am certain I would win this fight, but I do not have time for such games at the moment."

A hearty chuckle escaped the snow-haired man, filling the empty space of the common room with its echo. "I'm not picking any fights with you fluffy, my teeth are just like that! I was born with sharp canines. Besides, we both know I'd win hand's down with the condition you're in."

Maka yipped in annoyance, shut her eyes and turned her face the opposite way of Soul. More silence ensued.

"Maka?"

An annoyed huff.

"What is it?"

"Look at me."

Maka cracked one eye open slightly, meeting Soul's gaze. His red eyes held a seriousness to them, but oddly enough, they didn't seem hostile. Those crimson orbs held an emotion that Maka couldn't quite place at that moment; nonetheless, it made her stop breathing for a good minute.

"Please stop looking at my gun."

She froze, eyes widening to the point where Soul was sure they threatened to permanently leave her face. He'd been paying attention to where her eyes would land in the room, and she was caught completely off guard by this.

"I- I'm v-very sorry I just I don't like- I was thinking you mi-" He cut her off with a finger to her lips, surprised at how soft they felt to him.

"I already made it clear that I'm not going to hurt you," Soul started, fighting to keep his voice steady as he continued. "On the contrary Maka, I'm a friend. I'm going to try my best to take very good care of you." A loud grumble erupted from under the blanket and Soul gave a smooth chuckle as she rubbed her stomach in disapproval of the sound. "And we're gonna start with that hungry tummy of yours."

"But I am not familiar with this 'bacon' you speak of," Maka whined and pouted slightly. "I am not sure I will like the taste of meat that is thrown in fire." Maka pointed at the plates on the kitchen table. "And those are NOT eggs. Eggs come from fowl and snake nests. That yellow substance is fluffy and strange."

"I have never met a person or animal who didn't approve of bacon and scrambled eggs, Maka," Soul smiled as he grabbed her plate off the table and gathered some of the strips onto the fork. "Everyone loves this stuff. It's how humans eat food. Trust me, you'll love it when you try it. Here." Soul held the fork up to Maka's mouth. She reacted by leaning backward slightly with a grimace.

"What are you doing, Soul?"

"Trying to get you to eat. Now open wide." What an annoying grin this man possessed. It was getting on the fox woman's last nerve.

"What if I don't like this food?!"

"Trust me you will love it."

"No."

"Makaaa, say aaaaaah~"

"I said NO, man-hunter!"

"Do I have to beg?"

"Why would you-?"

"_Please_?"

Ok really, why was this man being so annoying? He wanted her to eat? Alright, she'll eat the damn concoction to shut him up!

"UGH, fine...but I can feed myself!" Maka responded as she snatched the fork roughly out of Soul's hand, the food dropping back onto the plate. She tried to put more food back onto the fork, but it proved to be quite a difficult task for her. Soul watched laughed amusingly as the bacon and eggs crumbled off the fork and back onto the plate with every failed attempt. "HOW DOES THIS THING FUNCTION!?" She yipped frustratingly as she began to go for the mouth-to plate approach of eating, but Soul pulled the plate away before she could reach it.

"Nah, ah ahh~" Soul cooed. "That's not how you eat; it's improper and very unladylike."

"I am a FOX, man-hunter. This is how FOXES eat," Maka retorted.

"I am aware, Maka, but allow me to teach you how to eat like a human being." Soul by no means wanted to disrupt her normal habits of being a fox; however, the doctor was coming soon and if she did not try to act somewhat human it could raise a lot of suspicion from Stein. "Now open."

"Grrrrrrrrrrr," Maka growled lowly in defiance, but opened her mouth eventually so that Soul would feed her and stop poking fun at her. She was already being tortured enough by being here under his control. She didn't need blows to her self esteem while he was at it. Maka chewed on the food her taste buds were introduced to, letting the new flavors settle on her tongue and ingraining them into her memory.

"It's...it's good!" She exclaimed, as she motioned with her hands and mouth for Soul to feed her some more.

"Told you!" He smirked and happily obliged to feeding the fox woman, who grew more excited with every bite. He took his time feeding her to notice the fluffy pair of ears atop her head that twitched in happily pleasure as she chewed away on her bacon.

"Hey Maka, why do you still have fox ears on your head as a human?" Soul cocked his head to the side to add emphasis on his curiosity of the matter.

"Oh these?" Her ears perked up in response to his voice. "They are my ears, I can hear everything much clearer with them than with my human ears."

"Can I-um- touch them?" Soul asked tentatively.

"Uh, sure?" She responded, but when he gave her a look that made him seem like a scared little deer in the dark, she knew he must not have known how to approach her ears appropriately. Maka sighed. "Here." She grabbed Soul's free hand and placed it gently atop one of her ears. Soul spread his fingers out, testing this new liberty the fox woman had given him. Rocky's ears were very sensitive to the touch and could be soothed with light scratches, so perhaps…

"Puuuuuurrrr..." Maka purred and melted on the spot, giving in to the wonderful sensation of the man-hunter's fingers lightly scraping against the sensitive skin tissue of her ears. Suddenly aware of his earlier plans, Soul ceased messaging her ears.

"Why did you stop?" Maka sounded annoyed now.

"I have a friend who is coming to see you in a few hours. He is called Doctor Stein."

"NO!" Maka yelped in panic. "Stein? WHO IS STEIN?! No other humans can see me like this! This is really bad!"

"No no no CALM DOWN Maka!" Soul shouted in return. "Doctor Stein is a friend." That was a lie. Soul actually feared the man for his freakish love of dissecting bodies for research, but Stein was the best doctor around and he had to convince Maka that he would not hurt her. "Friends of mine are ok to know. Doctors help humans when they are sick by giving them medicine. Stein is bringing medicine for your wound so that it won't get worse."

"I still don't trust you, Soul. So I won't trust this Doctor Stein either!" Maka blurted out frustratingly. She just wanted to heal so she could be free again. She didn't ask for all of this extra stuff. Seeing this 'doctor' wasn't part of their deal.

"And that's fine, Maka." Soul returned to his frustrated, serious state and Maka came to the realization that she liked him better when he was in a good mood. "But he will help you heal faster. You must trust me on that in the least, ok."

"Very well," Maka sighed. She didn't like where this was going. She really had to try and trust Soul in order to regain her freedom.

"Good." Soul smiled. Now he was getting somewhere. "There are two more things left to do now."

"Wonder what those could be?" Maka muttered under her breath.

"You need to get rid of your fox ears before he comes, can you do that fluffy?"

"NO! I like my ears Soul, I do not wish to hide them!" Maka retaliated. Now she had to keep herself hidden from others? This was more than she bargained for. "You are not frightened by my ears man-hunter, why would he be?"

"Because he does not understand you like I do, Maka. Most humans won't take easily to half-animal people. The concept might scare them, and people have a bad habit of doing stupid shit when they are frightened by something they can't understand. " Soul explained.

"So I am not understandable, man-hunter?"

"You're different, Maka."

"Is it bad for humans to be different?"

"Not in my book, but in others' opinions, yes. Personally, I think you're cool just the way you are, but the ears can put you in danger. It's my responsibility to make sure you don't get into anymore trouble."

Soul gave maka a genuine smile and a soft pat on the head. It widened as he began to notice her ears slowly receding back into her hair until no part of them could be seen.

"Atta girl," the hunter cooed. "Thank you, fluffy."

"Hmph." Maka turned her nose up at Soul, still very much upset about having to hide her ears from other people. "And the other request?"

"We need to find you some clothes."

Maka grumbled low curses into the air. She did not like human clothes; they were very uncomfortable and irritated her skin. It was absolute torture.

"When he leaves, I'll scratch your ears some more for the rest of the day?" Soul offered jokingly. "I know you'd like that very much, yes?"

"I don't like you man-hunter," Maka grimaced comically. Soul guffawed, moving his hand to ruffle her hair.

"I know," Soul patted her head in mock sorrow. "I know."


End file.
